Dear Parents and Friends of CCS,
I hope this edition of Parent News finds you walking in the power of the LORD! As we prepare for our Board of Trustees Master Planning Retreat on Friday, February 21, people have continued to ask me what I mean when I say that “CCS is a gospel-centered school on a journey towards extraordinary”.
This in itself is a bit of an extraordinary statement, one that requires definition and deserves careful consideration by those of us who have a personal stake in our great school. Over the next few weeks, I will be unpacking that statement here in my article, in preparation for my State of the School address scheduled for later in the spring.
Coinciding with this internal work is the submission later this month of the School Self Study Report to our accreditation organizations (ACSI and Cognia, the latter being the secular body that accredits public schools and universities).
This report is the fruit of a two year deep dive into every domain of the school’s operations and mission, and if it passes muster we will be re-accredited for another seven years.
After thoroughly reviewing the report, a team of 3-5 professional educators (not connected with CCS) will arrive on campus in April in order to personally ensure that we are who we say we are, to recommend improvements, and to recognize what we are doing well.
In the midst of all this, we are experiencing our busiest enrollment season to date, so we appreciate your prayers!
As I reflect on God’s ongoing movement at CCS and our desire to become “extraordinary”, I am aware of some important truths:
This pursuit should evoke great humility in all of us. (1 Peter 5:6; 1 Chr. 29:12)
This pursuit must be taken together. (Heb. 12:1)
The true goal of our pursuit is Jesus. (Heb. 12:2)
I often say that “An education rooted in Jesus Christ should be superior to all others.” This statement is less about competition with other schools, and more about the greatness of the God whom we love and serve, as well as the centrality of Jesus Christ to the whole enterprise of teaching and learning.
Jesus is in fact the greatest teacher, and as the Creator-Logos He is the greatest context for learning that which is True, Beautiful, Good, and Real. (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1)
Jesus is worthy of our best work, and He is worthy of the full surrender of our very lives.
As we grow together into the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13), we can experience His joy, His peace, His love, and the effectiveness that is the result of the Spirit of Jesus at work through His word implanted in us. (James 1:21)
And that, my friends, is what being an extraordinary school is all about.
For CCS and the Kingdom,
Tom